Crocodile, Guide to Afterlife for Amunem-wija, Hieroglyphic
Neues MuseumGuide to afterlife for Amunem- wija, chief of the domain, hieroglyphic
Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, 1075-946 BC, Thebes; Papyrus P 3127
In this part, a green crocodile outlined in black stands upright on two legs, its body detailed with scale patterns. The creature leans forward, extending its snout toward a reddish, teardrop-shaped object, as if preparing to attack, devour, or otherwise engage with it.
To the far left, a jackal-headed figure resembling Anubis (the jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife) lies gracefully, adorned with a white scarf or band around the neck, drawn in dark brown or black lines.
On the right side, a large oblong shape outlined in green contains reddish-brown, segmented, coiled forms—suggestive of coiled serpents (depicted as a hazard in the Duat) or a fiery lake, symbols often associated with the “Lake of Fire” found in Egyptian funerary texts.
The composition evokes themes of danger, transformation, and divine protection, hallmarks of the Book of the Dead and other underworld texts. Here, the crocodile embodies both menace and guardianship, reflecting its dual nature in ancient Egyptian belief as a creature to be feared and revered.
Original Text:
Jenseitsführer für den Wirt- schaftsvorsteher Amunemwija, hieroglyphisch
Zwischenzeit, 21. Dynastie, 1075-946 v. Chr. Theben; Papyrus P 3127
Supplementary images:
Guide to afterlife for Amunem-wija, chief of the domain, hieroglyphic
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